Hercules sat back and smiled. He had to admit, he did still enjoy himself at these local taverns, no matter how old he got. The passage of twenty-five years barely showed on the demi-god’s face and it was becoming more and more apparent that he was in fact immortal. He was now nearing sixty and still looked thirty. He had come to peace with that awhile ago, and he really didn’t mind still being noticed by all the young women he came across.

Iolaus was another story.

His best friend since childhood, Hercules watched Iolaus sit in a back corner alone, drinking determinedly. A mortal, the passage of time did show on his tired, but handsome face. He had traveled by Herc’s side for two decades before age and strength caught up with him. Since then Iolaus had spent a lot of his time at this tavern, thinking about his past with Jason and Xena and Gabrielle and Autolycus and other friends who were long gone. Hercules came by whenever he could, but he rarely succeeded in cheering up his friend. He understood though, that he himself was partly to blame for Iolaus’s depression. To accompany Hercules in his travels Iolaus had given up his youth. He had never found the time to marry or settle down as he had hoped.

Hercules couldn’t study his friend for long. The ladies in the tavern were starting to gather around him and demand some attention, so he tried to be a gentleman. But that didn’t last long as only a second later the door swung open. Salmoneus, of all people, stumbled in, nearly faint from exhaustion.

"Hercules! Thank the gods I found you!" Hercules jumped up and greeted his friend, then brought him to the back where he could rest and Iolaus could hear. Iolaus greeted Salmoneus, but quickly turned back to his ale.

Salmoneus was certainly past his prime as well, but still had the energy he always had. Hercules observed that this often resulted in him wearing himself out, as he just had. His friend was tired, but also clearly excited. He hadn’t the patience to catch his breath, so he spat out his news as quickly as possible.

“I came as soon as I could – I knew you’d want to know,” he gasped. Hercules nodded for him to continue. “But the news I got straight from Meg and Joxer. They swear it’s true! They’ve seen them! They’re alive!”

“Who’s alive?” Herc asked.

“Such good friends to all of us – I can’t wait to see them again! Can you, Iolaus?”

“I’m biting my fingernails,” Iolaus replied, taking another deep swig of ale.

“Of course you are! Why, with Xena and Gabrielle alive, the time-” he was interrupted by Iolaus who had spat out half of his beer and was apparently choking on the other half.

“What!” he gasped for air.

“They’re both alive! Xena and Gabrielle! Are you alright?” Salmoneus asked Iolaus, who was still coughing.

“Alive! How can that be?” Herc asked.

"I don’t know – it sounded so strange. Joxer tried to explain it to me, but it made very little sense. Ares was involved, I think, but anyways, I haven’t even told you the best part!” Salmoneus said, now beaming and taking a swig of Iolaus’s drink.

“There’s more?” Iolaus said in disbelief.

“Oh, there’s more alright,” Salmoneus said with a twinkle in his eye. He was fully relaxed now and sat back to let the waiter bring him some food.

“What is it?” Iolaus demanded.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. The girls. They haven’t aged.”

“Salmoneus, if this is one of your tricks…” Hercules warned.

“No gag. No joke. Honest. You know I haven’t pulled anything since I got out of jail." Hercules had to admit that was true. "Joxer said that the two of them look the same as they did the last time he saw them. Not one gray hair or anything. You know how they were taken away by Ares when they died? Apparently he put them in some sort of ice cave which kept them frozen. They haven’t aged at all – they’re still in their twenties for Zeus’s sake!”

"That’s marvelous!" Hercules said, clapping his old friend on the back. "Iolaus, isn’t that wonderful?"

"It’s unbelievable," Iolaus said. Without another word he stood up and left the tavern alone. Hercules was surprised at this reaction, and after making sure Salmoneus was settled with some food, he followed Iolaus out.